As many of you may know, there has been a lot of focus of health and welfare issues in brachycephalics and in the spring information about Pugs in the Netherlands. The situation of government regulations on dog breeding is a complex one, and without appropriate inclusion of all relevant stakeholders, we cannot be sure that the best interests of dogs will be served. Our partners the Dutch Kennel Club have been working intensely with various groups and have come out with their thoughtful and evidence-based recommendations in the attached breeding strategy document. Thanks to veterinarian Laura Roest for sending us this communication.
Dear reader,
Enclosed you find the translated proposal the Dutch Kennel Club ‘Raad van Beheer’ has sent to the Dutch Government. This is not a certified translation, but gives us the opportunity to inform the international community. Please feel free to ask questions regarding the document.
In March 2019, the report “BREEDING BRACHYCEPHALIC DOGS*" was published in The Netherlands (in Dutch) with enforcement criteria for the breeding of brachycephalic dogs. These criteria were active from that day onwards.
The Raad van Beheer concurs with almost all criteria and wishes to adapt them in its own regulations, in close collaboration with the involved breed clubs. The Raad van Beheer does not agree with the Craniofacial Ratio (CFR) as a prohibiting criterion for breeding. This criterion would make it impossible to breed certain breeds while the prognostic value and the reproducibility of the CFR are being questioned among scientists.
The Raad van Beheer wants an exception for the regulated pedigree breeding, so these breeds can be bred in The Netherlands in a healthy form and with the effort to achieve a longer muzzle.
We hope to receive soon a positive reaction on our proposal from our Government and we will keep the International Dog World posted!
Kind regards,
Laura Roest, DVM and Gabri Kolster Board Member Raad van Beheer Breeding Commission
Dutch Kennel Club ‘Raad van Beheer’
Translated version: English...
Breeding strategy brachycephalic dogs in the Netherlands.pdf
Also see: background articles/resources:
Stricter rules for breeding brachy dogs
https://dogzine.eu/en/newsarticle/stricter-rules-breeding-brachy-dogs
*FOKKEN MET KORTSNUITIGE HONDEN (Dutch)
Fokken_met_kortsnuitige_honden_.pdf
Utrecht University posted an article in January 2019... Criteria for breeding healthy short-nosed dogs
https://www.uu.nl/en/background/criteria-for-breeding-healthy-short-nosed-dogs
"New animal welfare criteria
The report Fokken met kortsnuitige honden ["Breeding with short-nosed dogs"] by the Expertise Centre Genetics of Companion Animals outlines a limited number of enforcement criteria and describes numerous additional criteria that can further help vets and breeders to select for healthy parent animals. The report is available Dutch and has been translated into English and German."
Internal English - eng_breeding_short-muzzled_dogs_in_the_netherlands_expertisecentre_genetics_of_companionanimals_2019_translation_from_dutch.pdf
Internal German de_zuchten_mit_kurzschnauzigen_hunden_-_kriterien_zur_durchsetzing_-_ubersetzung_aus_dem_niederlandischen.pdf

Breed Standards are valuable tools for defining, maintaining and preserving purebred dog breed's distinct type and purpose. Interpretation of conformation points described by the language used in Breed Standards is much debated among serious breed fanciers and judges. Recently comments have been made regarding the need to review and change the Breed Standards for some breeds with the aim of clarifying 'ideal' characteristics described, particularly with a mind to the Breed Standard's wording and its relationship to breed health and welfare.
Preservation of a breed's cherished qualities rides on breeders' understanding and interpretation of the breed standard and real world application of choosing mating pairs likely to produce offspring that favorably 'measure up' to the ideal specimen described in the Breed Standard - including producing a dog fit for purpose and function.

I was honored to address the French Bulldog Club of America at their National Specialty in Louisville, KY on October 31st, 2018.
The invitation came from the Health & Genetics Committee of the French Bull Dog Club of America (FBDCA). This invitation was prompted by my presentation on the IPFD Harmonization of Genetic Testing initiative at the AKC-CHF Health Conference in St. Louis in August 2017. Jan Grebe, Calvin Dykes and the others on the Committee stressed that the "club is dedicated to Frenchie health, and the harmonization project will be an invaluable resource for breeders".
The final presentation, following discussions with the committee, reflected various issues impacting the breed - and I complement the FBDCA on their interest in health and welfare of their breed and in both a national and international perspective. French Bulldogs are challenged by issues including alarming increase in numbers, health concerns related to the brachycephalic condition and scrutiny by veterinary and regulatory groups throughout the world.
The FBDCA video-taped the presentation and we have made this available here.
It was quite an experience to be in a hotel with about 300 French Bulldogs. The incredible commitment and attachment that Frenchie owners have for these dogs was very evident. I was excited to see information and videos on the increased interest in performance activities for this breed. What a great way to identify and highlight those dogs who are healthy and active.
See other relevant resources on brachycephalic issues internationally and coverage of these issues from the 3rd International Dog Health Workshop (IDHW) in our discussion paper. More international actions for health and welfare will undoubtedly be forthcoming following the 4th IDHW in May, in the UK.

Following on from my blog on the Seminar for the FBDCA we are thrilled to find that the French Bulldog Club of England has shared their Breed Health and Conservation Plan (BHCP). Link here; PDF attached, below.
These plans are being assembled by the health team at The Kennel Club, until recently spearheaded by Katy Evans (now the Jane H. Booker Chair in Canine Genetics at The Seeing Eye in the USA). Similar to coverage in my talk (video link here), the focus is very broad in the BHCP and makes clear the challenges ahead for this breed, internationally.
The BHCP incorporates statistics from Sweden and Britain, from our IPFD Partners Agria Pet Insurance/Agria Djurförsäkring and VetCompass.
Work like the BHCPs in the UK, Breed-specific Breeding Strategies from Sweden (RAS) and Finland (JTO) and others will be incorporated into our new development, the IPFD Health Strategy Database for Dogs (HSDD) coming soon. Then we will be able to provide an interactive resource where 'all' health information can be accessed to inform the great efforts being made by groups throughout the world.
Congrats and thanks to The KC and the French Bulldog Club of England.
breed_health_and_conservation_plan_-_french_bulldog_final__1_.pdf
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This is a translation of an article by Åsa Linholm which will appear in the Swedish Kennel Club magazine: Hundsport Special nr 2:2016.
Introduction:
The hottest topic in the Swedish dog world in summer of 2015 has been brachycephalic (flat-faced) dogs and their health.
In February 2016 the Swedish Kennel Club arranged a conference on the subject, an arrangement that was right in time,
but in fact was planned since 2014.

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